


infected

by RinChanSanMatsuoka



Series: Tumblr Halloween Requests [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood, Established Relationship, M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, everyone else is mentioned - Freeform, i keep adding tags i'm sorry, janken pon is used to decide someone's fate, none of the kids are dead, rin copes in a weird way, the violence warning is really just for the beginning, zombie shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 13:30:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4962439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinChanSanMatsuoka/pseuds/RinChanSanMatsuoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bites are their worst nightmare and their painful reality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	infected

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BisKitty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BisKitty/gifts).



> [tumblr mirror](http://rinchansanmatsuoka-gets-creative.tumblr.com/post/130795299555/halloween-request-1)

A spray of blood shot out of the zombie’s neck as Rin’s machete sliced through it and he found himself grinning.  He felt a sick thrill whenever he ended one of these monsters.  It meant one less zombie in the world and, while it might be overly optimistic, he liked to think it meant he and his friends were just a little safer.

As the zombie fell to the ground, he kicked where his weapon had cut, his heavy boot completing the separation process of head from neck.  It bounced across the ground, coming to rest by Sousuke’s feet.  “It’s like soccer, Sou.”

His best friend looked down at the head before his face screwed up in disgust.  “Really, Rin?  I don’t know how Makoto puts up with you.”  Sousuke kicked the head away from him before looking around.  “Where is Makoto, anyway?”

Rin froze at the question, any traces of mirth gone from his face.  “Makoto?”  Calling out for the other man, he tightened his grip on his machete.  “Makoto!”

“Rin, don’t yell,” Sousuke hissed.  He was beside his best friend in an instant, clamping a hand around his mouth.  Gripping the back of Rin’s shirt with his free hand, he kept the smaller man in place.  The last thing he needed was Rin running off and getting himself into trouble.  Again.

A rustle in the overgrown bushes had the two men freezing up.  Sousuke pulled away from Rin, the metal bat he used as a weapon clutched tightly in one hand.  They exchanged a glance, nodding a bit as they readied themselves to attack, should the noise prove to be danger.

Instead of a monstrous former human, Makoto stumbled out of the bushes. 

From Rin’s standpoint, he seemed disoriented and unsteady.  Worry made his heart jump into his throat as he dropped his machete and ran to pull Makoto into a hug. 

Makoto let out a soft yelp of pain from Rin’s sudden hug and Rin pulled back, looking him over with frightened eyes.  When he found the source of Makoto’s pain, he had to fight down the sudden nausea that threatened to overtake him.

There was a bite on Makoto’s right forearm and he was desperately trying to cover it with his left hand.  Despite this, the blood oozed through his fingers, dripping onto the ground.

“I wanted to see you again, Rin.”  Makoto’s voice shook when he spoke but he still wore that stupid, soft smile he always gave Rin.

“You… You _idiot_!”  Rin’s voice cracked on the last word and he wrapped his arms around Makoto again.  His eyes burned with tears as he clung to Makoto, not caring that Makoto’s hand was gross and bloody when he felt it rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“Rin.”

Sousuke’s voice made the couple tense up and Rin quickly turned around, putting himself between his love and his best friend.  Sousuke was holding Rin’s machete, though the slight tremble in his hand indicated that he was trying to steel himself against what he was about to do.  “Get out of the way, Rin.”

With a shake of his head, Rin glared at Sousuke.  “I won’t let you.”

“And I won’t let him kill you or the others!”

That thought sent a chill down Rin’s spine.  He tried to imagine Makoto, gentle Makoto, who was a friend to everyone, tearing into flesh with a mindless hunger.  There was no way Makoto could do that, infection or not.  “Makoto would never hurt me, Sousuke!”

“Your own mother tried to kill you, Rin!  Makoto will be like that within a day!”  Sousuke took a step closer, his grip tightening around the handle of the machete, his hesitation gone.

The memory of the crazed look in his mother’s eyes as she trapped him and Gou in his sister’s room surfaced in Rin’s mind and made him pause.  He had been so sure that they were going to die until suddenly his mother was on the floor, her red hair darkening with blood as Sousuke stood above her.  Gou and Rin had cried for hours after that, clinging to Sousuke as he promised to protect them.  They were the only family any of them had left when the virus exploded through the population.

Rin hadn’t realized he was crying until Sousuke had become a watery blur in front of him.  He took a step back, bumping into Makoto.  Letting out a sob, he turned around and hugged Makoto tightly.  “I won’t let him kill you…”

“If you won’t let me do it, then you do it.  He’ll only endanger everyone else if we bring him back.”  Sousuke’s voice was a forced calm but he stayed put, waiting to see what Rin would do.

“Shut the fuck up!  No one’s killing Makoto!”  Rin shouted, turning to send his best friend a nasty glare.

“Keep quiet!  Are you trying to bring more of _them_ here?”  Sousuke hissed, taking a step closer to the other two.

“Rin, please…”  Makoto’s soft voice brought Rin’s attention back to him immediately.  “It’s alright, you know…  I wanted it to be you.”  He leaned down slightly, pressing their foreheads together.  “Sousuke’s right.  Everyone will be in danger if I go with you.”

“No… No, Makoto, I _can’t_!”  The thought of killing Makoto, of snuffing the light out of those bright green eyes, brought on another wave of tears.  He choked back a sob as he clung to Makoto, praying that this was a nightmare.

Then he remembered what Sousuke had said.  Within a day.  There was still time.  For what, Rin wasn’t sure, but he would cling to the few precious moments he had left with Makoto.

With this bargaining chip in mind, he turned back to Sousuke, though he kept a tight grip on Makoto’s good hand.  Taking a deep breath to steady his voice, Rin started to speak, “You said it takes a day.  Let me have that.  Please, Sousuke.  We can lock him in the bathroom or something.  Then, once he’s changed, I’ll kill him.  Please just give me this.”  He hadn’t been able to say his proper goodbyes to his mother and he’d be damned if he couldn’t get that with Makoto.

Both Makoto and Sousuke were shocked by his words.  They started to speak at the same time before stopping to let the other go first.  There was an awkward pause as they stared at each other, before Makoto looked at the ground, letting Sousuke speak.

“Rin, this is a terrible idea…”  There was hesitation in Sousuke’s voice, however, and Rin knew his gamble had worked.  “I’ll _janken_ you.  If you win, he’ll come back with us.”

Relief surged through him at those words and he held his fist out in front of him.  Sousuke might have always won at the fly but Rin never lost against him at _janken_.  Today proved to be no different, as he threw down scissors against Sousuke’s paper.  As he stared at their hands, Rin felt a weak smile tug at his lips.

* * *

The hours dragged by as Rin sat in the bathroom next to Makoto, fingers laced together as they leaned on each other.  Occasionally Haru would come in and sit with them.  He never spoke, only watched Makoto, looking for signs of the inevitable change.

Rin refused to leave until Sousuke physically dragged him from the room when there were only a few hours left.  Throughout that entire time, Makoto hadn’t changed at all.  Rin had cleaned and bandaged the bite but the blood had remained red, not like the black sludge he had seen on other bite victims.  Forcing down the small bubble of hope that had welled in his chest, Rin sat outside the bathroom door, waiting for the inhuman growls to start.

But they never came.

Sousuke had made them all wait until evening, well past the twenty-four hour limit, before finally acting.  He got up from Haru’s small kitchen table and went to the closet, grabbing the metal bat.

The rest of the small group, consisting of Haru, Rin and Gou, jumped to their feet.  Rin ran in front of the bathroom door, not wanting to believe that this was really happening.  That Makoto was about to leave him for good.  “W-Wait!  What are we going to tell the others?”

Their group was split between Haru’s house and Makoto’s, and Sousuke had made Rei and Nagisa stay at Makoto’s house with the Tachibana twins, Kisumi, Ai, and the Mikoshiba brothers when Makoto had been locked in the bathroom.

“The truth, Rin.”  Sousuke’s expression softened slightly and he pulled Rin into a one armed hug.  “I really am sorry,” he said softly, pressing the bat into Rin’s hand as he pulled away from the hug.

Feeling tears burn his eyes again, Rin gripped the bat and turned to the door.  He felt Haru step up beside him and he glanced at him, curious.

“I’ll help, if you need it.”  Haru’s voice was soft and he refused to look at Rin.  It made Rin realize that he wasn’t the only one about to lose a loved one.

Taking a deep breath, Rin wrapped his hand around the doorknob and turned back to look at Sousuke.  His friend nodded and moved to stand in front of Gou, shielding her from whatever might be in the bathroom.

Rin gave up fighting back his tears as he turned the knob and opened the door.

Makoto sat on the edge of the tub, changing his bandages.  His eyes were still a bright green and his blood was still red.  “Rin?”  Even his voice was the same.  Makoto was still human.

Dropping the bat, Rin rushed into the bathroom, ignoring Sousuke’s shout and Haru’s hand attempting to grab his shirt.  He threw himself at Makoto, almost sending them both toppling back into the tub.

“R-Rin, be careful!”  Makoto wrapped his uninjured arm around Rin, holding the sobbing man close.  “I’m alright…  I don’t know how, but I am.”  He laughed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to Rin’s cheek.

Still in disbelief, Rin pulled back, cupping Makoto’s face with his hands as he searched for any trace of inhumanity in his eyes.  They were the same eyes Rin had fallen in love with, perfectly clear and bright with life.  His tears were now those of joy as he pressed a kiss to Makoto’s forehead.

“You’re _immune_ ,” he breathed, speaking against Makoto’s skin.  Maybe all of their jokes about Makoto being an angel were true.


End file.
